M. Swan: Practical English Usage; M. Hewings: Advanced Grammar in Use; R.

Murphy: English Grammar in Use

Simple present, Present progressive (continuous) – handout

Simple present

Form
Statement: I live in Brno. / He lives in Brno.
Question: Do you live in Brno? / Does he live in Brno?
Negative: I don’t live in Brno. / He doesn’t live in Brno.

Use
 when we talk about permanent situations, or about things that happen regularly, repeatedly
or all the time (not just around now).
o Nurses look after patients in hospitals.
o I play tennis every Friday.
 stories – when we talk about series of completed actions and events.
o So, I go into the office, and I see this man, and he says to me...
 when giving instructions
o You go straight, then you come to a garage, you turn left and then you take the first
right.
 talking about the future – when we talk about future events which are part of a timetable, a
regular schedule or something similar.
o His train arrives at 11.45.
o I start my new job tomorrow.
o The summer term starts on April 10th.
 non-progressive verbs – some verbs are never or hardly ever used in progressive forms and
some other verbs are not used in progressive forms when they have certain meaning. Many
of them refer to states rather than actions (mental states, senses, modal verbs).
o I’m seeing the doctor tomorrow at ten o’clock. = visiting
o I see what you mean. =understand

The list of non-progressive verbs

mental and emotional states

believe, doubt, feel (have an opinion), hate, imagine, know, (dis)like, love, prefer, realise,
recognise, remember, see (=understand), suppose, think (=have an opinion), understand,
want, wish

senses
feel, hear, see, smell, sound, taste

communicating and causing reactions

agree, appear, astonish, deny, disagree, impress, look (=seem), mean, please, promise,
satisfy, seem, surprise

others

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M. Swan: Practical English Usage; M. Hewings: Advanced Grammar in Use; R. Murphy: English Grammar in Use

be, belong, concern, consist, contain, depend, deserve, fit, include, involve, lack, matter,
measure (=have length), need, owe, own, possess, weigh (=have weight), have
Present progressive (continuous)

Form
Statement: I am watching TV. / He is watching TV. / They are watching TV.
Question: Are you watching TV? / Is he watching TV?
Negative: I am not watching TV. / He is not watching TV. / They are not watching TV.

!!!Spelling rules!!!

Use

 temporary actions and situations that are going on now

o Hurry up! We’re all waiting for you!
 temporary actions and situations that are going on around now
o He’s working in Saudi Arabia at the moment.
 changes
o The child is getting bigger every day.
 repeated actions and events around now
o I’m travelling a lot these days.
 future arrangements
o I’m seeing my doctor tomorrow.
 actions that happen more often than normal or reasonable
o He’s always losing his keys.
 be being = be acting
o Usually she is mean, but today she is being very generous.

!!!Non-progressive verbs!!! (see above)